The Price of Humanity

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

He doesn't make any understandable response towards me, only groans some more. When he's in an arms reach of me he lunches for me and tries to grab me.

His arms outstretch in front of him as he tries to grasp onto the fabric of my top. He ends up grasping the edge of my flannel, tied around my waist.

It's only loosely tied and so it comes off easily when he grabs onto it. He stumbles slightly but reaches out for me again.

I scream loudly and retreat so I'm a few meters away from him again, but he starts stumbling towards me again.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shout at him, slowly retreating away so he doesn't get too close.

Something is badly wrong. Mr Michaelson doesn't seem fazed by my screaming and so continues to limp towards me, hands outstretched, ready to grab.

I stumble off the grass and back onto my driveway, near the truck.

"Mr Michaelson?" I try one more time, but only get some slightly strange gurgling noise in reply. I decide that I've been friendly enough for today and leave Mr Michaelson to whatever the fuck he's doing.

"Mum." I say coming into the kitchen to find Zane and Gale also emptying the kitchen of food. "I think something's wrong with Mr Michaelson..." I say slowly, trailing off, glancing at all the food they're planning on taking.

Do we really need this much? I didn't even know we had this much food in the kitchen, they seem to have packed double the quantity that was in the cupboards.

Zane and Gale freeze, sharing a look. A look I don't understand but by the facial expressions they each share, I can tell it's not good. Gale nods, finishing their mental conversation and takes my hand.

His hand wraps around mine in a vice like grip that is impossible to get out of so I go with him, since there's nothing else I can do. He brings me upstairs, very much in a hurry, and into my room.

"Did he touch you?" Gale asks in an uncharacteristically worried tone. He starts frantically pulling up my sleeves, I glare at him in confusion.

He looks around my arms, searching for something, slightly patting them down as he goes.

After a minute or so he decides he's done with my arms and moves onto my legs, he's looking intently over these limbs too, patting them down and looking all around.

It's easy for him to do, because I'm wearing shorts – it is spring.

"Gale, what are you doing?" I ask, getting more frightened by the minute. When he moves dangerously close to my torso however I decide enough is enough.

I slap him on the face, surprising him and stopping him in his tracks. Standing up I move away from him a couple of feet so he's standing at the end of my bed and I'm halfway up the side.

He runs his hand through his hair in frustration. He was the one just randomly checking me like I was a criminal, why is he frustrated?

"Did he touch you?" He raises his voice at me, not enough to shout but enough to startle me. I shake my head furiously, scared by the man in front of me who I no longer recognise as my alcoholic brother.

"No, he didn't. He tried to grab onto me but I ran away before he could, he got my flannel though. I really liked that flannel." I stop my little rant and focus on something more important. I feel my heartbeat rise in my chest, like it's going to burst, as I come to my realisation.

"Gale, his leg looks pretty bad, like he'd been bitten by something. Maybe their dog? Although Alfie was never violent."

I try and focus my mind, realising that I'm rambling once again. There's a strange weight in my chest, like my heart doesn't fit in it anymore.

"We need to get him to a hosp..."

I freeze and I'm pretty sure a look of terror comes across my face as realisation hits me in the face, like a bitch slap. Gale studies me curiously, probably thinking I've gone mad with all my rambling about dogs and bites.

"Oh, my god, I think Mrs Michaelson's dead. She wasn't moving and Mr Michaelson was..." I cover my mouth with my hand in panic as I realise something else. "Gale, I think Mr Michaelson is a cannibal."

My breathing starts to act up and I know I'm hyperventilating. What's happening? Why is it happening?

Gale takes my hands, I look down at them and I notice for the first time that they were shaking violently, he grips them and stops them from shaking as much.

He looks into my eyes deeply, signalling what he's going to say is very important. I return his gaze and focus only on my brother.

"I need you to calm down, okay?" I nod weakly, not calming down at all. "We're going to head to the coast and see if there are any boats left for us to take..." I interrupt him there.

"We're going to steal a boat! No, we can't! We'll get arrested Gale and I'm not happy with the idea of living in prison." Gale's grip tightens on my hands, almost cutting off my blood circulation with his tight hold.

"You need to get a grip. There's no more police left to arrest us, I'm pretty sure the entire world's gone to hell. We need to leave." I nod weakly under the pressure of his demanding tone and eyes.

The entire world couldn't have gone to hell, could it?

"Good, now help us get the food into Dad's truck okay?" I nod, not entirely sure what else to do. The grip on my hands disappears and he stands up, running his hands through his hair again.

Despite my lack of understanding in the current situation, I think helping out with whatever needs to be done and keeping me distracted would stop me from panicking.

Gale takes my hand and pulls me gently towards the door, once my feet are moving again and I'm starting to calm down he lets me go and we rush downstairs.

"Please don't make me do this."